The history of the Woolton family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in one of a variety of similarly-named places. Settlements named Woolstone are in Buckinghamshire and Devon. Wolstan is a parish in Warwickshire and Woolston is a hamlet in Somerset. The surname Woolton belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxonhabitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Woolton Early Origins

The surname Woolton was first found in Lancashire at Woolstone, a township, in the parish and union of Warrington, hundred of West Derby. Saint Walstan (or Walston) (died 1016) dedicated his life to farming and the care of farm animals and is accordingly the patron saint of farms, farmers, farmhands, ranchers and husbandrymen. "[Bawburgh, or Babur in Norfolk] is distinguished as the birthplace of St. Walstan; he lived at Taverham, where he died in 1016, and his remains were removed hither, and enshrined in a chapel in the parish church. The resort of pilgrims to visit his shrine greatly enriched the vicar and officiating priests, who, in 1309, rebuilt the church; but the chapel in which the remains of the saint were deposited was demolished in the reign of Henry VIII." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Woolton Spelling Variations

Woolton Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Woolton include Woolston, Woolton, Wolston and others.

Woolton Early History

Woolton Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Woolton research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1579, 1465, 1535, 1594, 1668 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Woolton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Woolton Early Notables (pre 1700)

Woolton Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Woolton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Woolton or a variant listed above:

Woolton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Woolton settled in Virginia in 1639

Woolton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Woolton, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1869

John Woolton, aged 19, who emigrated to the United States from England, in 1893

Thomas T. Woolton, aged 32, who landed in America, in 1893

Thomas Woolton, aged 37, who settled in America, in 1895

Woolton Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Joseph Woolton, aged 27, who landed in America from Hurst, in 1901

Frances Charles Thomas Woolton, aged 28, who emigrated to the United States from Oldbury, in 1905

Eveline Woolton, aged 15, who settled in America from Middlesboro, England, in 1913

Elizabeth Woolton, aged 30, who emigrated to the United States from Helchin, England, in 1915

Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.

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The Woolton Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Woolton Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.